Rice Post Game Thread

[businesslawyer]

I was on the Evers train but after seeing every snap I’m off. He showed nothing that even looked like potential. He reminds me of Turner without the leadership skills. I still think Mora is great and hope he’s right about Evers, but that game was concerning. Again, I defended him in posts earlier this season.

Joe has better pocket awareness and a way better arm. Can’t really run the RPO with either. I much prefer quicker hitting run plays and play action off of them. Our backs are good at that and we seemed to run more earlier this season.

I forgot to make this point until now. I've said all year that Evers throws to his primary target every single time. If anyone doubts that, he threw a short down and out yesterday where his wideout got knocked down or slipped right at the line of scrimmage. Evers never noticed. Dropped back and threw the pass he always knew he would throw, even though the wideout was just getting up off the ground yards away. Can that be corrected? Absolutely. This season? Incredibly unlikely.

 

[hardcorehusky]

Evers is playing injured. He doesn't have the speed he had earlier in the season . If there weren’t 4 or 5 drops yesterday, his numbers would look much better. While we are all frustrated with the O, I will take the win everything. I think the bye week after GA State will be huge in fixing the Offense.

 

[Patman]

But is it based on a year to year basis or is it a multi year thing?

year to year but you can't make any deal performance dependent... how that get enforced? god only knows

 

[JohnFSilver]

Gotta win games. UConn had done thst.

Program isn't a bottom 10 program
Anymore.

I think they should have a quick hook this week. Gotta be better efficiency than that.

 

[JohnFSilver]

The relatively big unknown is what Cole Welliver brings to the table.

His a big kid, should have no problem seeing the field, and throws with what I hear is decent accuracy.

Is some ways I don’t know why we worry about redshirts. We haven’t had not had someone hold onto the QB position for more than a couple of year. Shireffs was the last QB that put it all out on field for us IMO.

I am big Mora fan - no wavering.

But if he needs to improve, it is not treating every starter like their Tom Brady and should never have to “look over their shoulder.”

We should treat the position as something that we adjust as necessary - do what’s best for the game we are playing.

Evers was something like 9/28 yesterday - abysmal.

We won in spite of Evers not because IMO.

That poor? That isnt good.

 

[Patman]

Gotta win games. UConn had done thst.

Program isn't a bottom 10 program
Anymore.

I think they should have a quick hook this week. Gotta be better efficiency than that.

I admit I haven't watched any of the last few games. Since the start of the season I've flipped back and forth. I like Evers if he has a running threat but if he's injured he just doesn't. He needs to train and learn in practice. Fagnano isn't going to be a godsend but we need to give our running game at least a chance and not be such small dimesnions.

Georgia State is going to be a tough game. They already beat Vandy this year so they're not scared of anybody

 

[uconnbill]

Syracuse in my book is a must win IF we want some respect - right now every time we’ve played a good team, we’ve lost. Buffalo is an okay team - maybe that’s a good win?

Rice, Merrimack, the others, add up their wins so far this season and it isn’t pretty.

I like 5-3 but comon Syracuse is getting blown out in some games, they are ripe for us.

Who cares. You can only play your schedule and not sure what this means at all.

UConn is 5-3 and last year had 3 wins all year long. I'll take this year anytime considering what has happened since the Fiesta Bowl.

I will add that Rice fired their coach after the game

Rice fires head coach Bloomgren after 2-6 start

Rice, off to a 2-6 start after back-to-back bowl berths, has fired head coach Mike Bloomgren, who went 24-52 in his seven seasons with the Owls.

www.espn.com

 

[storrsroars]

Who cares. You can only play your schedule and not sure what this means at all.

I'm hoping it means Mora has a plan to ramp up to beat stiffer competition. Next year's schedule is similar to this year. But in 2026, we get serious with 5 P4 teams on the sked, including Indiana, Maryland, Cuse, @Duke, @UNC, and even the G5 competition is tougher with JMU and @Wyoming (end of Nov to boot).

I hope he knows what he's doing as if we're not improving all around, we're could be looking at two 8-9 win seasons followed by a 3 win stinker.

 

[ktuck911]

I'm hoping it means Mora has a plan to ramp up to beat stiffer competition. Next year's schedule is similar to this year. But in 2026, we get serious with 5 P4 teams on the sked, including Indiana, Maryland, Cuse, @Duke, @UNC, and even the G5 competition is tougher with JMU and @Wyoming (end of Nov to boot).

I hope he knows what he's doing as if we're not improving all around, we're could be looking at two 8-9 win seasons followed by a 3 win stinker.

All gas mo breaks at this point...andcwe take it one year at a time. As long as we continue to navigate NIL like we did this past cycle we should be good for awhile....with a little coaching staff attrition...that's inevitable...

 

[GoConn]

Brock has been one the best decisions Mora has made.

However, sticking with Evers over Fagnano over the next few games could be one of the worst decisions Mora can make. We will see...

 

[Jetskies]

Nick Evers ought to settle in nicely at a Jacksonville State or Kennesaw State.
For next year, pay a proven upperclassman who won games in the P4, and give Cole Welliver a shot.

 

[huskysupporter]

I forgot to make this point until now. I've said all year that Evers throws to his primary target every single time. If anyone doubts that, he threw a short down and out yesterday where his wideout got knocked down or slipped right at the line of scrimmage. Evers never noticed. Dropped back and threw the pass he always knew he would throw, even though the wideout was just getting up off the ground yards away. Can that be corrected? Absolutely. This season? Incredibly unlikely.

I disagree regarding whether that issue can be corrected. Evers has played qb for a while and going through progressions I am sure has been emphasized. Some qbs just can’t do it.

I think Evers is what he is at this point.

 

[Patman]

Nick Evers ought to settle in nicely at a Jacksonville State or Kennesaw State.
For next year, pay a proven upperclassman who won games in the P4, and give Cole Welliver a shot.

we arent going to get a successful p4 cast off

 

[Brochacho]

Sometimes I feel like a jerk being critical of college athletes but NIL has changed that. Evers makes 6 figures in NIL and is on a full-ride at a top 20 public university. He is not a quality QB and should not be playing. He will not improve. If he had potential to improve Oklahoma & Wisconsin would not have let him go.

 

[gsmooth]

I disagree regarding whether that issue can be corrected. Evers has played qb for a while and going through progressions I am sure has been emphasized. Some qbs just can’t do it.

I think Evers is what he is at this point.

That's why my thoughts are with Jetskies in the post above yours. Can Evers improve? I will give him the benefit of the doubt and say "yes" overall, including going through his progressions. But the question(s) that have to be asked are how much improvement can he make and how much time and at what opportunity cost for this season? I don't want to sacrifice wins for him to improve expecting some payoff next year (wins) that are not a guaranteed or sure thing.

I am hoping UConn can get an experienced P4 starter that has some wins under his belt-a QB ranked in the middle tier. We know the transfer portal QBs in the upper tier won't choose UConn unless the NIL and payment from the school is really good and we know other P4 schools have more money to offer.

 

[ScottVib]

Mora said last week that he knew what the problem with the OLine was, but didn't want to advantage the opposition by talking about it publicly. Well the problem wasn't fixed this week which I take to mean either 1) it's a problem that will take more than 1 week to fix, 2) the real problem is actually the QB play allowing defenses to prioritize the run in their schemes (but he didn't want to call out Evers) or 3) it is a problem that can't really be fixed (loss of Muraswki, being physically overmatched in places on the Oline etc.) Watching from the stands it seems our opponents are getting a lot of penetration all across the LOS.

4d chess, he felt like he could beat Rice without revealing the correction to future opponents like Syracuse.. just wait.

 

[ddent68]

We won and need just one win for bowl eligibility (second in three years). Why all the negative takes on here? Did you all forgot that four years ago we were the joke of college football?

Four years ago? How about last year.

 

[gopher2]

It could very well be that Evers was promised he would start every game this year so long as he was healthy, and that he wouldn't be pulled unless a game was already won or lost.

 

[UCan3]

Who cares. You can only play your schedule and not sure what this means at all.

UConn is 5-3 and last year had 3 wins all year long. I'll take this year anytime considering what has happened since the Fiesta Bowl.

I will add that Rice fired their coach after the game

Rice fires head coach Bloomgren after 2-6 start

Rice, off to a 2-6 start after back-to-back bowl berths, has fired head coach Mike Bloomgren, who went 24-52 in his seven seasons with the Owls.

www.espn.com

Well, I‘m not so sure what looking at our schedule and seeing that we lost to 3 decent teams, Wake, Duke and Maryland, and the other W’s were against all teams with losing records.

Make no mistake, I’ll take it As welll

BUT we still need a good win Against power 4.

But I am regretful to see the Rice coach fired.

I thought they came out and played a good first half and played very well for a team with Frosh QB at the helm. Too bad!

 

[Jetskies]

If he had potential to improve Oklahoma & Wisconsin would not have let him go.

In fairness to other QBs in this situation, i don't think this is necessarily true. Sometimes there are just too many prospects in the QB rooms at top football schools, who purposely over-recruit for "insurance" purposes, and a legit prospect has to find a new home at a smaller school to get his shot.

This is what we hoped Nick would be, and it looks like coach Mora still holds on to it. Maybe it's true belief in the kid, maybe its just the money they owe him anyway, but it looks like JM's gonna ride with him for better or worse in 2024.

Best of luck to our Defense.

 

[Jetskies]

we arent going to get a successful p4 cast off

we won't get a top tier QB, agreed. But the right number of zero's should pique the interest of a moderately successful QB of a P4 school who's only got a couple of years left and knows he has no shot at the NFL (backup/practice squad at best), but he can throw effectively against P4 defenses.

We may not be able to get another Skyler Bell if we show him a gallery of JF's and Nick E's.

 

[Jetskies]

That's why my thoughts are with Jetskies in the post above yours. Can Evers improve? I will give him the benefit of the doubt and say "yes" overall, including going through his progressions. But the question(s) that have to be asked are how much improvement can he make and how much time and at what opportunity cost for this season? I don't want to sacrifice wins for him to improve expecting some payoff next year (wins) that are not a guaranteed or sure thing.

I am hoping UConn can get an experienced P4 starter that has some wins under his belt-a QB ranked in the middle tier. We know the transfer portal QBs in the upper tier won't choose UConn unless the NIL and payment from the school is really good and we know other P4 schools have more money to offer.

agree with this.

also to add - as we know, UConn is not a typical low-level FBS school. Our brand is a strange anomaly - horrible football history, but elite bball and very very solid olympic sports, and overall a solid university brand that already puts us right in line with the big 10 and ACC schools. Our profile overall is worthy of sharing the big time football stage, even if we never get amazing at the sport.

Which is why I think it's worth it for UConn to find the money to pay the kids we need (proven P4 Upperclassmen), to get to the conference we ought to be in. Jax State or Southern Miss would never agree to spend the kind of NIL money we need to, because the ROI isn't there. You're still Southern Miss at the end of it all.

We are a big fish in a bathtub. C'mon football team, free us!

 

[Patman]

we won't get a top tier QB, agreed. But the right number of zero's should pique the interest of a moderately successful QB of a P4 school who's only got a couple of years left and knows he has no shot at the NFL (backup/practice squad at best), but he can throw effectively against P4 defenses.

We may not be able to get another Skyler Bell if we show him a gallery of JF's and Nick E's.

no, why would they they leave a situation like that? I think you over estimate UConn's budget. edit: You might, and I stress might, get a low G5 QB who lights the world up

 

[Waquoit]

Evers showed progress then completely lost everything. It seems like he's lost. Is Fagnano the answer? Probably not

Why not? He can hit open receivers. That's all we really need. I'm sick of QB's who can't throw.

 

[Jetskies]

no, why would they they leave a situation like that? I think you over estimate UConn's budget. edit: You might, and I stress might, get a low G5 QB who lights the world up

there are many reasons a player would do it. Recent Injury, insecurity with a new recruit threatening their position and the writing being on the wall for them as the incumbent starter , and finally.... $$$$$$$$$

- Reasons that the public like us would never know - that's between the player and Jim Mora when they talk.

NIL is going to change the game here, there is zero loyalty now, and even less is on the horizon. I don't think people appreciate this enough.



2nd - I'm not estimating anything.

regardless of what the budget is, i'm speaking as to what I think would move the needle on QB recruitment, as an indep program who doesn't have the prestige to attract the QB we need, without ponying up some serious (maybe even irresponsible) cash.

whether UConn will ACTUALLY find the way to pony up the necessary zero's is another matter altogether.